


Light in the Darkest Place

by Innocentfighter



Series: Safe and Sound [1]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Adopted Children, Adoption, Aftermath of Violence, Alfred knows what's up, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bat Family, Batfamily Feels, Bruce Wayne is Batman, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Canon-Typical Violence, Dick Grayson is romani, Dick isn't Robin yet, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Families of Choice, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Gotham City - Freeform, Gun Violence, He's trying to be at least, Hurt/Comfort, Murder, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Alternating, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Trapeze, author doesn't actually know how acrobats work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-27
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-07-03 04:41:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15811578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Innocentfighter/pseuds/Innocentfighter
Summary: Bruce Wayne doesn't know the first thing about raising kids, but that doesn't stop him from wanting to help Dick Grayson.





	Light in the Darkest Place

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on a roll, kids. I have genuinely no idea how I'm going to handle this. I might make it multichapter, but then I'd have to probably edit the series to work around it so I might make it a one-shot and then structure the series like that with the one shot in between the adoption bits.

“Hey dad, wanna know what I want to be when I grow up?” Bruce asked leaning dangerously on the stool.

Thomas gently pushed Bruce so that was more secure on the stool, “what’s that son?”

Bruce grinned brightly, “I wanna be like you!”

“A doctor?” Thomas asked, “you’ll have to study hard.”            

“No,” Bruce shook his head, “I’m going to be a great dad like you!”

Martha’s eyes widened and then she smiled softly, “I think that’s a very good dream to have.”

Thomas grunted something and then turned back to his son, “well, you’ll still have to work very hard. It’s difficult being a parent.”

Bruce nodded, “don’t worry. I’m going to work extra hard!”

Bruce was then promptly distracted by the waffles that the butler brought him.

* * *

“Master Bruce,” Alfred called, “you have a meeting with the board in two hours”

Bruce rolled over and pulled the pillow over his head. He could faintly hear Alfred’s steps and then the curtains rustling as they were pulled open. A groan left his lips and he rolled to his other side, away from the light.

“This is the price for living the life you lead,” Alfred remarked. “Breakfast will be served in fifteen minutes.”

It was the only warning he would get, and after a decade and a half of listening to it, he knew when Alfred wasn’t going to let him recover from his night’s activities. Slowly he pushed himself from the bed and ignored the throbbing aches in his back. Some of the gangsters he had fought with last night had been very happy with slamming various metal instruments into his kidneys. Alfred had deemed them a non-issue and thus his schedule remained the same.

Bruce shuffled sleepily towards the shower.

He struggled the entire ride to Wayne Enterprises to remember what the meeting was supposed to be about. Something about investing in a small tech industry, but the specifics eluded him. His mind kept going back to the case he was currently working on, Tony Zucco was about to try and traffic many drugs out of Gotham within the next couple of nights. Batman had yet to scare the location of the trucks or drugs out of the gangsters he scared.

The car pulled to a stop in front of the company. There wasn’t any press around the entrance, which meant he didn’t have to worry about being overly friendly looking. Small blessings. Lucius greeted him in the lobby, he obviously had been waiting some time to meet with him. Bruce looked at his watch, he was only ten minutes late.

“Mr. Wayne, just the man I wanted to see.”

Bruce chuckled, “I doubt that’s true, but I hear we have something to discuss?”

Lucius smiled politely, “it’s about the company’s public image. Investors are worried.”

“Investors are always worried,” Bruce waved the concern away. He was sure there was nothing that would impact stocks coming up.

“Yes, well, this past couple of years you’ve become somewhat of a recluse, there’s been talk.”

Bruce’s smile dropped some, “there’s always talk about me, Lucius.”

Lucius nodded, “that’s certainly true. It's an easy enough fix.”

“Then why is it still a problem?” Bruce asked cautiously.

“Well,” Lucius cleared his throat as they headed to the elevator, “they would involve you being seen with the public, as part of the public and just not the elites.”

Bruce raised an eyebrow, “what, like I go the circus that’s in town?”

Lucius snapped his fingers, “exactly, I’ll have your secretary place orders for tickets.”

“Just one,” Bruce said, “I don’t want to take away from other people who actually want to see it.”

“Well, from what I hear, this isn’t a show you want to miss,” Lucius pressed the button to his office.

“They say the Flying Grayson’s kid is even better than the two of them.”

“The acrobats?” Bruce frowned, “how old is the kid?”

“He’s nine, or around there.”

He didn’t like the thought of a nine-year-old doing something so dangerous. Bruce figured the parents wouldn’t let the kid do tricks unless they thought that he could. They would know better after all.

“Well, it might be interesting,” he responded.

Lucius shrugged, “it’ll be something.”

Bruce headed towards the boardroom and Lucius headed towards his office. Truthfully, he’d rather work the case about Zucco tonight, but he had to remember that he wasn’t just Batman. He was still Bruce Wayne. The circus would get the press talking for a couple of weeks and that would give him room to breathe as Batman. It’s a lonely life, and maybe a night with people and no crime would be just the thing he needed.

At least it wouldn’t be a boardroom meeting.

* * *

He had Alfred drop him off at the far end of the parking lot. That would give people enough time to get it circulating that Bruce Wayne was at the circus. Hopefully, there was already press here and they would find him in a couple of minutes. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a man bump into an elderly couple. A young boy hid in the cars further away. The man made his apologies and headed back to the kid, tickets in hand.

Bruce pursed his lips. He didn’t need to get involved, it was probably a kid who’s never gotten much in the way of special treats and he could easily replace the elderly couples’ tickets at the gate. All he had to do was tell the ticket seller that he would also get whoever’s tickets were behind him and then entered. Everybody won for once.

The circus was as loud, bright, and smelled as bad as he remembered it. Several years had passed since Haly’s Circus had made its way to Gotham and as a result, people were already crowding in. Bruce scanned for a decent seat still open, his secretary hadn’t gotten him any special seating per his request, this was about looking in touch with the people. His gaze was drawn to the long line of families waiting to get their picture taken with the Flying Graysons. Bruce watched in curiosity as a boy in a blue and white leotard leaped into the air and flipped several times. The boy in front of him clapped his hands in glee. Bruce smiled at the sight and then spotted an empty seat near to the front row.

Haly’s Circus was as grand as they and the rumors proclaimed it was. Bruce found that he was enjoying himself, between the posing for the random reporter that spotted him in the crowd. He’s already talked with a couple. It should be enough to satisfy Lucius and the investors. The Ring Master stepped out into the middle ring.

“Now ladies, gentlemen, boys and girls, let’s give a round of applause for The Flying Graysons!”

The audience erupted in cheers. Bruce winced at the loudness but quickly covered it by clapping. He was curious to see how the Flying Graysons had changed since the last time he saw them, back when it was probably their parents. The spotlight whisked up to the platforms. A handsome couple waved to the crowd and then another spotlight landed on the further platform. It was their son, who was grinning widely and waving with both hands. Bruce was surprised by his youth, but he had an impressive stage presence. He was probably a prodigy.

The women jumped off the platform with one of the trapezes and her son dropped the other one a second later. She flipped effortlessly and caught the bar. The first trapeze had already swung back to the husband who caught it and swung down. The woman had twisted herself so that she was facing her husband and she jumped towards his outstretched hands. Bruce felt vaguely dizzy at the thought of hanging on to a bar just using leg strength with no net to catch them. The husband gripped his wife’s hands and held onto her with ease.

She was tossed onto the platform and she flipped before she landed. This time the son was jumping from the platform, he held onto the trapeze through one arc, and when they came together again he let go and flipped four times before his father caught him by the legs. The son somehow maneuvered himself so that he was about to seemingly step from the trapeze to the platform. Once the father went down again he jumped to the second empty trapeze and the wife had grabbed the first one when it came back. She swung down on it while standing on the bar.

The wire snapped, but she was able to leap and stretch far enough for her husband to swing himself around so that he would grab her with his legs. For a second it seemed like everything was fine, and then the second trapeze snapped.

Bruce watched the two acrobats fall and closed his eyes when they were seconds from hitting the ground. There was a sharp yell, and Bruce glanced up at their son.  _Oh god._ He stood up uncertain about what he was going to do. Bruce Wayne had no business comforting a child, not like Batman did, but this kid had just watched his parents die and there was probably no one else more qualified in this tent to help that boy.

Everyone was quickly ushered out of the tent by police once they arrived. Commissioner Gordon was on scene and Bruce headed towards him. Several reporters snapped pictures of him, no doubt they were about to spin some sob story about this night reminding him of his parent’s death. He’s already tuned out the sound of the wire snapping sounding like gunshots, but he has to know what’s going to happen with the kid.

“Mr. Wayne, what a surprise,” Gordon said as he approached.

“Call me Bruce,” he said reflexively.

“Is there something you need, I’m busy and apparently this case is connected to gang activity,” Gordon explained, “or so says the kid.”

Bruce tried to not look too interested in that information, “what’s going to happen to the kid?”

“Well, best guess? He’ll enter into the system here foster care or orphanage. A ward of the state as it were.”

It wasn’t what he was hoping for, but at least the kid had somewhere to go other than with the circus. Bruce recalled the bright smile he displayed before he did death-defying stunts. He didn’t want that smile to be ruined forever, but chances were he wouldn’t recover and he’d suffer from his parents’ death the rest of his life. They wouldn’t be able to find out which gang was behind it, and even if they did there was no guarantee that the proper action would be taken. Batman would have to get involved and show the kid that he was going to get justice. It might just save him.

Alfred frowned when he approached, “are you alright, Master Bruce?”

“Yes, I need to go out tonight, Gordon says the murders were connected to a gang.”

“I see,” Alfred raised an eyebrow, “any particular reason Batman is getting involved without being asked to?”

Bruce paused, “what are you saying?”

“The Graysons had a son, did they not?”

“This has nothing to do with that,” Bruce growled.

Alfred simply opened the door to the car, “I’m sure it doesn’t.”

* * *

Dick didn’t know what to think when Bruce Wayne sat crouched in front of him. The matron of the orphanage had been in a flurry since she got the call, and if Dick had to guess based on the other kids’ reactions  _Bruce Wayne_ was a big deal. He crossed his arms and stared down the man, he didn’t want a big deal he wanted his mama and dad.

Bruce didn’t react, at least like how most adults acted when they called him “difficult.” Instead, he leaned back to give Dick more space.

“I’m Bruce Wayne,” Bruce stuck out his hand.

Dick glanced at it and then back to Bruce, “Dick Grayson.”

Bruce lowered his hand, he seemed unoffended, “how are you liking Gotham?”

It was kind of amusing to see this man dressed as finely as he was kneeling in the center of a dirty hardwood floor with flaking plaster behind him. Dick didn’t laugh though, he was used to dressed-up people using dirt as an accessory, that’s what they all did when they went to the circus.

“S’okay,” Dick shrugged once he realized Bruce was waiting for an answer.

There was silence in the room for several seconds. This time when he spoke Bruce fidgeted and Dick recognized the movement from when his dad had to tell him that the circus was moving on from Central City. He’d made his first friend there and he hadn’t wanted to leave. Dick frowned, he wondered what Bruce Wayne had to be nervous about and he knew it wasn’t because he hadn’t done anything wrong.

Well, the matron seemed to think he had.

“Ms. Torres tells me you’ve been running off,” Bruce stated.

Dick frowned, he didn’t get why Bruce cared that he sometimes ran away, this seemed like a lot of overkill. He was surprised they hadn’t just let him leave as overcrowded as the orphanage is, “it’s not my home.”

“The circus was,” Bruce nodded, “but unfortunately the state decided that it was a place you could be raised without your biological parents, whether they were right or wrong that’s what they decided.”

Dick glanced up, there was nothing in Bruce’s face that made him feel like that man’s words were a lie. It almost sounded like he was on Dick’s side, “they don’t get it. They didn’t try to.”

“They were just following what they thought would be the best course of action,” Bruce replied, “and you might not like it, but you just can’t up and run away, the circus could get into serious trouble.”

“They can?” Dick frowned, “but it was me who went to them.”

Bruce half-shrugged, “you’re still a child, and that makes the state department treat it differently.”

Dick crossed his arms. He didn’t get it, but if the circus got into trouble because of him, then he would have to stop running away. His mama and dad loved that place and Dick didn’t want to ruin it because he was selfish. Although Bruce’s presence was more of a mystery than it was previously.

“Dick,” Bruce said, and Dick’s attention turned towards him, “I know what you’re going through.”

 _That_ crossed a line, tears bubbled up in his eyes, “no you don’t! You’re rich, you probably got everything you wanted. The circus was all we had!”

Bruce’s eyes widened and raised his hands. Dick glared at him and swiped at the tear tracks. “I didn’t mean, my parents were murdered when I was about your age. I understand more than most.”

Dick blinked. He was still angry that this man thought he could come in and be a comforting ear. Dick didn’t want to be comforted he wanted to go home, but then again if what Bruce said was true then they were kind of in the same situation.

“Did they ever find the guy who killed them, your parents?” Dick leaned forward.

Bruce shook his head, “no, it was random, and we were in a bad neighborhood there was really nothing that the police could do.”

“Will they find the person that killed my parents?” He couldn’t imagine living his whole life knowing that the person hadn’t gotten the justice they deserve.

“I hope so,” Bruce raised a hand, but hesitated, when Dick didn’t flinch away it came to rest on his shoulder, “I know this may seem strange, we don’t know each other, I would understand completely, but would you like to come back to the manor with me?”

“Why?” The word slipped from Dick’s mouth before he could stop it.

Bruce rubbed the back of his head with one hand, “like I said, I think I can help you. Besides, it’ll be way nicer than staying here until they can figure out what they’re going to do with you.”

“What does that mean?” Dick tilted his head, in all the movies about orphans they stayed in the orphanage until a loving family adopted them. Dick pulled a face at that thought, it kind of made the kids like puppies.

“Well,” Bruce pulled back, “the orphanage is already crowded, so your caseworker is trying to figure out what family he can give temporary custody too while the court settles the case.”

That sounded a little frightening. As much as he didn’t like it here, he at least knew that the people here wouldn’t hurt him, some random family didn’t sound like it gave the same guarantee. Dick scrunched up his nose in thought as he tried to figure out what was going on.

“Would you be my new dad then?”

Bruce gaped and cleared his throat, “well until your case is settled I would have temporary guardianship, which means I can help make choices for you and well depending on how that goes I can attempt to gain permeant guardianship.”

Dick frowned, he didn’t understand what any of that meant. Bruce pursed his lips and then spoke again, “I’m not trying to replace your father, Dick. I’m just trying to help you.”

That, he did understand. He was worried that Bruce was trying to replace his father for some reason. To hear that it wasn’t calmed Dick some. He didn’t want a new dad, he wanted his old one, but he knew that was impossible.

“Okay.”

“Okay, what?” Bruce blinked.

“I’ll stay with you, or whatever it is.”

Bruce smiled for the first time since entering the room, “I’ll let Ms. Torres know.”

* * *

Alfred peered into the room where Bruce had just settled Richard. The boy while withdrawn was still filled with energy, he practically vibrated the table during dinner. They would have to find a proper activity for him while they waited for the courts to decide the case.

Bruce’s hand hesitated over Richard’s hair before landing gently on his shoulder. There was a clear affection in Bruce’s eyes, and while Alfred knew better than to plan for the boy’s permanent fixture in their household he couldn’t help but think that Bruce already had. It was a good thing, and his effect had been apparent after just a week.

Slowly, Bruce stood and headed towards the door. He was quiet in his steps, and halfway out of the room he glanced back to make sure that Richard had settled. It had taken an hour to calm him from the nightmare and another two to get him to the point where he could fall asleep again.

“This case had nothing to do with the boy?” Alfred asked casually.

“It didn’t,” Bruce sighed, “but you see it, if there isn’t justice for the Graysons then he’ll end up like me.”

Alfred frowned at the thought. While Bruce wasn’t exactly the shining role model the courts liked, there were still many qualities that were worth something. Bad people don’t go out and fight villains and criminals just to protect people.

“Finding the murderer is for the boy then?”

Bruce shot him a look that said he wanted to drop this conversation. Alfred didn’t want to press but knew he should, it was likely Bruce wouldn’t realize how much he’s already bonded with Richard. Should they lose the court case, Alfred feared it would be a blow that his emotions could not recover from and damn him to a life of sitting in the cave alone.

“Of course, it is,” Bruce finally said.

“What of his custody case?”

Bruce stilled, “what?”

Alfred sighed, “the paperwork has been straightened out, and unless you file for permanent custody then he will be put back into the system.”

“The court isn’t going to give custody to me, I’m a twenty-four-year-old party boy to the public,” Bruce leaned against the wall, “the only thing in my defense that I can afford to give him the best education, clothes food, and to the court that may not be enough.”

“They will take into account Master Richard’s feelings on the matter,” Alfred replied, “if you talk to him and see what he wants you may be surprised.”

Bruce sighed as if a giant weight had been pressed to his shoulders. He glanced back into the room where Dick had already managed to kick out the middle blanket to the floor and the top blanket barely covered him. Alfred watched the play of emotions on his own charge’s face, there were amusement and fond exasperation. It had been a long time since Alfred had seen any emotions beyond sorrow and quiet rage on Bruce’s face.

“For the both of your sake’s, I hope this turns outs for the best,” and Alfred started to head down the hallway.

“Me, raise a kid?” Bruce whispered to himself.

Alfred held back his comment,  _it’s not so hard to picture_. He turned the corner, but not before Bruce headed back into Dick’s room to presumably fix the covers.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! As always leave your thoughts and comments below! Also, let me know if there's anything in particular that you want to see in this series! As I've mentioned, most of the pre-return character arcs are planned out sans Damian's.


End file.
